The BLAME GAME: Olshey or Stotts or both?

[Sinobas]

Stotts seems to be obsessed with having his PF shot jumpers. Aminu is not a realiable shooter by any stretch, and teams are leaving him wide open on purpose. Too much of our success hinges on Aminu's gimpy shot.

 

[Sinobas]

A GM must be a good talent evaluator. It takes no such talent to notice that Cousins is a star. What takes talent is to pluck an unnoticed young player from anonymity and make him bloom. Olshey tried to do this with Ed Davis, Aminu, Turner, etc., but they aren't good enough. The guys who are good enough (Lillard and McCollum) were conventional wisdom for where they were in the draft, not genius finds.

Olshey will never get Cousins because every other GM is after him. Whitsitt found players without big names who were undervalued by other GMs. A GM's success depends on his ability as a talent evaluator of unknowns, not in his chasing obvious big names like Cousins. (Except for glittery Los Angeles, New York, and maybe Boston.)

(Looking at what I just wrote, I see that the 2nd paragraph is just a rewording of the 1st.)

Not true to say Lillard and CJ were "conventional wisdom". CJ would probably be the #1 or 2 overall pick in his draft class if it were done with hindsight rather than 10, Lillard would go higher than 6 as well. There are few "obvious" prospects in the nba draft, so you have to give credit when a GM makes a good pick.

 

[BBert]

Whitsitt....Whitsitt real good ......! One question jlprk......how close did we get to a championship with Trader Bob?

We were only a Stern job away.

 

[Cippy91]

Isn't it crazy that dantoni comes back and makes harden a triple double machine and one of the best offenses out there? Terry stotts basically wants to run it the same way dantoni does. Fast pace, a lot of threes. Our bigs pass out of the paint for easy shots for a chance at a three and it's obvious plumlee and Davis have been taught that. I feel like we have more talent than Houston but dantoni comes in, implements it, and they are actually a good team.

The west isn't good this year. It's basically gsw and the cavs. This is where the debate of super teams come into play. If Durant was still with the thunder, etc. it's actually a legit conversation now with competiveness in the league. I see it now. It's not fun. Gsw has four all stars all capable of putting up 20 plus in games at once. Klay has dropped 60 in three quarters, 34 or 37 in one quarter. Steph is two time MVP, Durant former MVP. Draymond is probably the best 4 in the league with how versatile he is even though we hate his antics. Fun to watch but look at how bad the rest of the league is. It's a serious conversation now.

I feel like even Portland at its best would struggle with that team. It's a long session but it's looking like a mediocre season for us. Guys got paid. That's what happened. It's a mixture of stotts same bullshit and olshey overpaying these guys, giving toxic contracts out for "assets". Well let's see what he does at the trade deadline, that's where we will see if he's the real deal or just a phony salesman. I don't expect anything anymore. For all I know our guys could show up tonight and blow out the pacers or not show up and get blown out. Also tired of being lied to by this organization when it comes to serious injuries. This ezeli thing is just ridiculous. Come out and tell us, we pay for the merchandise, the tickets, etc.

At least dame and cj show up. They are paid 100 mil to play this game. They do it. Every night. These other dudes getting paid don't. Shows their real character. At least moe has been consistent though

 

[TBpup]

Olshey also plucked Harkless and Laymen from a virtual free tree.
No GM is going to have a 100% hit mark. Olshey is a pretty good at seeing potential talent in my opinion so far.

Good a secondary signings and pretty good at the Draft. That whole FA'cy thing though has been mostly a miss IMO.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

I only hope that before you meet your Maker, you will accept Bob into your life, because He is a jealous Maker.

Are you suggesting we go after Thon Maker?

 

[Cippy91]

 

[Nikolokolus]

Good a secondary signings and pretty good at the Draft. That whole FA'cy thing though has been mostly a miss IMO.

Portland is a hard sell for marquee (or even yeoman) free agents. Outside of post-prime Pippen, who was the last big get for this team?

I just don't think the name of the GM matters that much when the product they are selling remains what it is.

 

[craigehlo]

While I'm not a big Stott's fan, he should have the opportunity to coach this current Blazer squad with a center that at least resembles a defensive threat. Since Rolo left, this team is a lost cause in the interior. It' not like Rolo was Mt. Mutombo either. We can't keep trying to plug holes with undersized PFs and expecting success.

Olshay built this mess and should be the first one to go if he can't fix it.

 

[Blazinaway]

Olshey also plucked Harkless and Laymen from a virtual free tree.
No GM is going to have a 100% hit mark. Olshey is a pretty good at seeing potential talent in my opinion so far.

I think Olshey is pretty good at evaluating guards/wings but pretty na at bigs. Look at the group he assembled and some of the ones he failed to get (Monroe, Hawes, Kanter

While I'm not a big Stott's fan, he should have the opportunity to coach this current Blazer squad with a center that at least resembles a defensive threat. Since Rolo left, this team is a lost cause in the interior. It' not like Rolo was Mt. Mutombo either. We can't keep trying to plug holes with undersized PFs and expecting success.

Olshay built this mess and should be the first one to go if he can't fix it.

as I said the other day this is probably the worst collection of bigs in the NBA, Neil has constructed a very unbalanced roster and we are seeing the results

 

[Sinobas]

Olshey was doing great till this offseason. I mean shit, why did he let Rolo go then sign Meyers Fucking Leonard?

I'm not at the point of wanting him canned..but he was a total bozo this offseason. He must have convinced himself that we were on the verge of becoming the next GSW. He reallly needs to redeem himself soon though.

 

[riverman]

I think Olshey is pretty good at evaluating guards/wings but pretty na at bigs

He brought DeAndre Jordan to the Clippers, and got us Rolo from New Orleans....brought in Kaman as a backup ...I'm a fan of Olshey...he's gathering assets before the trade deadline

 

[craigehlo]

Gathering assets? I don't think we have many current players that can be considered "trade assets" any longer. They are overpaid, under performers. We have to give up picks in hopes to move any of them. Neil cost this team cap flexibility and will have to mortgage the future to salvage the season.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

uh....Raymond Felton coming off the bench behind Jamal Crawford at point...Oden's medical retirement, Roy's medical retirement and the Nolan Smith, Kaleb Canales, Luke Babbitt fest comes to mind.....I was real grumpy that season

lol, I'm still butthurt over both trading Zach Randolph for nothing, and losing RLEC for nothing. I'm not that hurt about losing LMA, because, you know, to hell with that guy!

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Gathering assets? I don't think we have many current players that can be considered "trade assets" any longer. They are overpaid, under performers. We have to give up picks in hopes to move any of them. Neil cost this team cap flexibility and will have to mortgage the future to salvage the season.

1) Agree that our "assets" currently have diminished value. Neil praying like mad that we improve before the deadline.
2) We traded cap flexibility for not losing our assets, a reasonable gamble (some wags would say especially considering NO's FA record )
3) Agree with your implicit assumption that something needs to be done.

 

[Denny Crane]

lol, I'm still butthurt over both trading Zach Randolph for nothing, and losing RLEC for nothing. I'm not that hurt about losing LMA, because, you know, to hell with that guy!

Me and Gambitnut used to chat via AIM. When the Blazers got the first pick, I argued they should take Durant and play him and ZBo and LMA on the front line. Durant being the next Kobe and Oden being a gamble.

In retrospect, I don't think I've changed that opinion.

 

[Cippy91]

What a clusterfuck. Put all your chips in to these guys as being able to perform well and be assets. The only tradeable one with value is hark and no way we give him up because he's actually playing up to his contract, super young and really improved over last season. Maybe somebody would take Meyers just because the NBA loves 7 footers that can shoot but we wouldn't get much out of him. Crabbes contract is toxic. Turners is toxic. Ezeli probably isn't playing this season. Just a real shit situation. Neil as well as we thought we would just keep improving. Guys get paid, they stop playing hungry. Now that means the team isn't good AND we have no assets. Respect to Neil for the risky move but shit failed this time around

 

[Blazinaway]

He brought DeAndre Jordan to the Clippers, and got us Rolo from New Orleans....brought in Kaman as a backup ...I'm a fan of Olshey...he's gathering assets before the trade deadline

gathering assets,? LOL I guess you think the assets he overpaid badly for this summer are positive assets? I don't, the only guy he signed this summer that is a positive asset is Hark, he rolled the dice on Festus and its a bad 7 mil roll so far, Meyers/Crabbe/ET are all negative values in trades - so what the heck are we going to be able to trade for without movin Dame or CJ? Neil put us in a box

 

[Blazers Roy]

gathering assets,? LOL I guess you think the assets he overpaid badly for this summer are positive assets? I don't, the only guy he signed this summer that is a positive asset is Hark, he rolled the dice on Festus and its a bad 7 mil roll so far, Meyers/Crabbe/ET are all negative values in trades - so what the heck are we going to be able to trade for without movin Dame or CJ? Neil put us in a box

The general consensus on this board in the offseason:
"We have lots of moneys, let's spend it all on whatever WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO".

 

[chzbrgr]

When AC gets that deal a smart gm just brings back Henderson for half the price and more or less the same production. When Meyers doesn't get any offers from other teams as a smart gm you sign him for the fucking MLE. When your team's glaring hole is in the front-court as a smart gm you don't go spend 36mil on wing players and take a flyer on a guy with career ending knee problems. When gathering assets for a trade a smart gm would not make that strategy clear to everyone and anyone who will listen cause that might hurt your negotiating position and effect the psyche of the team.